By Lem Satterfield, FanHouse
Maryland resident, Mark "TNT" Tucker, a 22-year-old southpaw, USBO light heavyweight (175 pounds) champion with a record of 13-0, with seven knockouts, has signed a promotional agreement with Lou DiBella, the promoter, and Tucker's father, Mark "Spirit Bear" Tucker, confirmed to FanHouse on Wednesday.
The news was first reported by Rick Reeno of BoxingScene.com.
"I've been following him for a long time, ever since he once sparred with Jermain Taylor a few years ago. He's a colorful kid. I like the whole, 'TNT' thing. They're nice people, and the kid can fight," said DiBella, who also boasts wBC junior middlweight (154 pounds) champion, Sergio Martinez, and, WBC welterweight (147 pounds) titlist, Andre Berto, among those in his promotional stable.
"His dad's done a pretty good job building him so far, and I think, taking over from here, he's at a good weight. I like him, and I'm really happy about signing him," DiBella said.
"I know that his dad was promoting shows with him in Maryland, and I've had my eye on him for a while," said DiBella. "I saw that he kept on winning, and I spoke to his dad a little bit ago, and I said that I thought I could help advance him. We just completed a deal, and I think he's a good prospect."
Tucker is coming off of December's unanimous, 10-round decision over hard-hitting challenger, George Armenta (13-6, 11 KOs) during which former world champaion, Buddy McGirt, worked his corner.
McGirt, whose past titlists have included the lateArturo Gatti, urged Tucker forward through a grueling battle that he won, 96-94 on the cards of Don Risher and John Gradowski, and 98-92 on that of Gary Camponeschi before a boisterous crowd at the Westminster, MD., Shipley Arena at the Carroll County Agricultural Center.
FanHouse scored the fight for Tucker, 96-95.
Armenta was coming off of August's fourth-round knockout of William Johnson -- his ninth stoppage during a 16-match run of 13-3.
"Mark and I are really excited to be working with Lou DiBella, and we're looking forward to our working relationship. We feel like he's the best promoter in the world right now," said Mark "Spirit Bear" Tucker. "We feel like he looks out for fighters' interest better than anybody else, and we're just really excited."
"TNT" Tucker has been training at The Wild Card Boxing Club for the past two weeks, where the youngster has done some mits work with three-time Trainer Of The Year, Freddie Roach, whose champions include seven-time titlist and WBO welterweight king, Manny Pacquiao, and, WBA junior welterweight (140 pounds) champion, Amir Khan.
"Freddie's mitting him up and has helped him," said "Spirit Bear" Tucker. "He's not working the corner, or anything, but he's really helping him while we're at his gym."
On Wednesday, Tucker sparred with 34-year-old, former super middleweight (168 pounds) champion, Anthony Mundine (38-3, 23 KOs), a winner of 15 straight fights.
"He's training here right now, and he's sparred today with Anthony Mundine. He was in over his head a little bit, and got beat up a little bit," said Roach.
"But Mundine is a world champion, and he's a hard working kid and a southpaw," said Roach. "He's in a tough place right now because all of my guys in his weight are pretty talented guys, but he went six, hard rounds with Mundine and he did well. He just just needs a little more experience."
The 6-foot-1 Tucker, who sports a mohawk and enters the ring to the tune of "A Country Boy Can Survive," has a brilliant story, for promotional purposes.
"I think that he's got a great story. I'm a believer in that. This is the entertainment business, and, ultimately, you have to make people care about you," said DiBella. "The kid already has a local story, and I think when more people hear his story, they're going to care about him."
Before he was a year old, he and his father literally lived in the woods of Eldersberg, Md., for almost two years after their house burned to the ground.
About three years ago, "TNT" Tucker suffered third-degree burns to his left hand -- the same one that has delivered powerful left hooks to flatten opponents -- only to rebound and resurrect his fighting career.
"TNT" Tucker suffered the burns on his hand and arm when he was "about 18," said his father and trainer, "Spirit Bear" Tucker, who is of Native American decent.
The youngster was mixing a cleaning solution for the chrome wheels and stacks of 18-wheeler truck tires on a stove when the mixture -- a combination of polishing wax and paint thinner -- exploded.
"He was cooking it, and it ignited, and he grabbed the handle of the sauce pot and he was running it outside to keep the house from burning down," said "Spirit Bear" Tucker.
"As he was running, the solution spilled onto him and stuck to him like napalm," said "Spirit Bear" Tucker. "It spilled on the carpet and the house ended up being damaged anyway."
The back of the younger Tucker's hand "was burned all the way to the bone on the top and across the knuckles," said his father. "From the wrist to the elbow, that area peeled up and burned up like fried baloney or fried bacon -- that's exactly what it looked like to me."
The son, whose name has been legally changed to Mark "TNT" Tucker, was treated at Johns' Hopkins' Burn Center in Baltimore for several days, said his father.
"He refused to allow skin grafts and was sent home," said "Spirit Bear" Tucker. "By the grace of God and the power of prayer, four months later, Mark fought in the nationals, basically with one hand."
Two years later, in February of 2008, the younger Tucker turned pro with a first-round knockout of Walter Edwards -- his first of four consecutive knockouts. Tucker stopped seven of his first eight opponents.
"I've learned from my past experiences that if you want something, that you've got to fight for it and earn it, because nothing in life is easy," Tucker told FanHouse in an earlier interview.
"I draw on those situations sometimes in a tough fight," Tucker said, "during those times when not everything's going your way, and you just have to have the will to win."
Source: boxing.fanhouse.com
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